Night markets proposed for Brum's golden mile

Those are just a few of the ideas from Gerald Manton, the new chairman of Westside Business Improvement District, one of the country's largest entertainment zones outside of London.

Mr Manton is a real estate developer who owns and runs GNM Developments Ltd, which specialises in the residential, care homes and student accommodation sectors, and has a string of properties on Gas Street on Westside.

He has been a Westside BID director for the last three years, and has now taken over as chairman from Dipesh Mistry, a regional director of NatWest Bank.

His ideas for Westside’s future have been welcomed by Councillor Waseem Zaffar, the cabinet member for transport and environment on Birmingham City Council.

Mr Manton said: “I joined the BID board to help improve the area from a development point of view, and thanks to Dipesh’s encouragement I’ve been actively involved from the start.

“Westside is changing due to the numbers of new residential properties going up, and I strongly feel it needs a better public realm.

“For example, I want Gas Street to look different, to be all lit up and better linked with the canal, so that both people living in the area and visitors feel more comfortable.

“Night markets is another idea I’d like to pursue, as with more residential people in the area we need to add events to keep them here, spending their money with our businesses.”

Mr Manton added: “One of the things Westside doesn’t yet do enough of is public events in Centenary Square, and I’d love to see us hosting a huge, annual New Year’s Eve celebration event outside Birmingham Library.

“I also think the area with its ‘golden mile’ of pubs, bars and restaurants would be ideally suited to host what could become the biggest real ale festival in the UK.

“I’ve been involved in helping the Shirley Beer Festival in the past and on Westside we could develop what might be called ‘Westoberfest’ – reflecting the tremendous success of Munich’s Oktoberfest.

“And with the Commonwealth Games coming up, I want to make sure that Westside is well promoted throughout the country, with people on public transport seeing ‘Visit Westside’ on the train, bus or trams bringing them to the city.”

Councillor Zaffar said: “I’d like to welcome Gerald Manton to his new role as chair of Westside BID. He clearly has a bold inventiveness for positive change in Westside that will further energise the area, and I look forward to working closely with him and the BID team on these exciting ideas.”